Panthers vs. Blue Jackets Picks, Predictions: No Resistance Between the Pipes
A pair of teams hoping to shake off a Saturday defeat hit the ice as the Florida Panthers head to Ohio to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets. Here are our best Panthers-Blue Jackets picks for Sunday.
Neither the Florida Panthers nor the Columbus Blue Jackets could pull off the win in their Saturday contests. The Panthers faced the Calgary Flames in the late afternoon window and lost 5-4 in a shootout. The Blue Jackets got spanked 6-1 on home ice by the Detroit Red Wings.
Columbus was actually starting to gain a bit of momentum before the Detroit thumping, winning three of their previous five games. Unfortunately, that means very little in the grand scheme of things as their 6-10-1 opening record has significantly silenced any playoff hopes.
Florida hasn’t had too great a season either, however the Panthers do currently hold the second wild-card position by a slim margin. Can they use the Blue Jackets as a stepping stone towards the top of the Atlantic Division?
Here are our Panthers-Blue Jackets NHL picks for Sunday (odds via BetRivers and DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Panthers vs. Blue Jackets Game Info
Date: Sunday, Nov. 20, 6 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN+
Location: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
Panthers vs. Blue Jackets Odds
Panthers vs. Blue Jackets Odds Analysis
The Panthers opened up as -205 favorites on the moneyline, and that line has significantly moved to -258 overnight. The general consensus agrees as 76% of the tickets, and 91% of the handle, have Florida winning outright.
The Over/Under for this game opened at 6.5 and remains there. Sports bettors are split as 85% of the tickets are on the Over, whereas 61% of the cash is actually on the Under.
Panthers vs. Blue Jackets Picks
- Spread: Panthers -1.5 (+100 via BetRivers) ★★★★★
- Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-120 via DraftKings) ★★★★★
- Prop: Carter Verhaeghe anytime goal scorer (+165 via BetRivers) ★★★★★
Panthers vs. Blue Jackets Moneyline Pick
Panthers -1.5 (+100) ★★★★★
Being able to select the Panthers to cover the spread with positive odds is an incredible value when you consider the Blue Jackets’ track record this season. They’ve lost by three or more goals in 10 of their 11 losses, thanks in large part to shaky goaltending and several defensive breakdowns. The oddsmakers agree, as these odds moved from +118 to +100 overnight.
Columbus’ No. 1 defenseman Zach Werenski is officially out for the season, thus thinning out a blue line that already lacked both high-end skill and solid depth. The Blue Jackets allow an astounding 4.31 goals and 36.6 shots per game, which is bad news considering the Panthers average 40.6 shots per game. Florida is also tied for 10th with Edmonton in goals for this season (60) so it should be open season against a Columbus team that can’t seem to stop much of anything.
Panthers vs. Blue Jackets O/U Pick
Over 6.5 (-120) ★★★★★
Both of these teams play a high-tempo, feast-or-famine style of hockey. Florida does it a lot more effectively than Columbus, yet the goals for and goals against averages for both sides are over three. Another commonality is that each organization used its best goaltender in the Saturday game, meaning Sunday will be the battle of the backups.
The Blue Jackets are running out of options due to the fact that all three netminders have been playing poorly. Joonas Korpisalo was in net for all six goals against versus Detroit, and oft-tandem partner Elvis Merzlikins is still on the shelf. The goalie they will start against the Panthers, rookie Daniil Tarasov, actually has the best numbers of the trio; however, a 1-3 record to go along with a 3.57 goals-against average and an .893 save percentage is nothing to feel confident about.
Florida won’t exactly have a safety blanket between the pipes either, as well-paid veteran backstop Sergei Bobrovsky has gotten off to a pedestrian 4-4-1 start with a 3.46 goals-against average and an .895 save percentage. With such poor goaltending all around, on the second leg of a back-to-back, the Under seems rather unlikely.
Panthers vs. Blue Jackets Prop Pick
Carter Verhaeghe anytime goal scorer (+165) ★★★★★
The key matchup of this game will be the Panthers’ high-flying offense versus the Blue Jackets’ battered defense. In fact, Columbus has given up the second-most goals in the NHL (75). Of Florida’s 60 goals, Verhaeghe has 11, including nine in his last nine games.
A large part of his success has been receiving first-line duties alongside star center Aleksander Barkov, who is naturally one of the best puck distributors and space creators in the league. Verhaeghe also sees time on the second power play unit, and the Blue Jackets are a bottom-10 team on the penalty kill.
Verhaeghe will get a high volume of opportunities, and there’s a good chance he’ll take advantage at least once, if not multiple times.
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Panthers-Blue Jackets picks made 11/20/2022 at 12:08 p.m. ET
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